About

TC: Who inspired you over the years when you were creating your own personal guitar tone?

Brian: Aside from my dad and those he played with? Steve Sinclair, Johnny Triplet, just tons of local guitar heroes. The first record I heard that made me go “I want to do that” was The Eagles Alive. In my teenage years I was obsessed with George Lynch, Jake E Lee, Paul Gilbert and all things metal before seeing that there was a lot more to offer in the world of guitars than playing really loud through big amps, although I still do prefer to play really loud through really big amps (laughs).

TC: What are the main ingredients in your tone in terms of effects (e.g. chorus, flanger, delay, etc.)?

Brian: Usually time-based stuff as special effects, primarily I’m pretty dry. Just overdrive right into an amp, or just the amp itself creating an overdrive, and past that I’d use delay for lead stuff. Cleaner things would have some compression and maybe a modulation and a time-based effect.

TC: Have you ever been so inspired by a tone you created that you ended up writing a tune based on that specific tone?

Brian: Absolutely.

TC: Do you work on developing your tone continuously, or do you feel that you have found a fundamental tone that will last throughout your career?

Brian: I’m sort of in between that. I don’t have to fuzz with it a bunch, but it’s rare that you plug right in and there you go. There is a thing I always hear in my head and I’m pretty quick to get there.

TC: Normally, do you prefer having access to many parameters, or do you like simple pedals with just a few knobs better?

Brian: Less is more. If you put a bunch of stuff in front of me I will blow it, I’ll screw it up some way or another.

TC: How come you signed up for creating your own personal TonePrint(s)?

Brian: First of all it’s TC Electronic so you know it’s tremendous, these guys don’t mess around, and it’s compact. This is the first thing they’ve done that’s been this tiny. It has tons of power, so it was a no-brainer.

TC: In your opinion, what is the single coolest thing about TonePrints?

Brian: It is limitless, and I can’t screw it up. Once I get it set I can’t bump it up with my foot or anything and knock it completely out of whack, so I have to have a bunch of goofy tape all over it or write down the settings in a little notebook to remember them.